Unpacking ADAS: Safety Tech Poses Unique Risks and Aftermarket Challenges

The modern vehicle is often described as being more computer than automobile. It’s a fair assessment, considering the typical new car has roughly 100 million lines of software code. That number has jumped exponentially over the past decade or two, and will certainly climb again – by about 5x, if fully self-driving vehicles have their way.

Suffice it to say, your daily driver is complicated. Even if you own an older ride, computers control everything from the engine and braking system, to the window actuator and radio, to the symphony of safety bells and whistles that serve as a soundtrack on your daily commute.

It’s that last function we want to explore today. Because whether you find these alerts helpful and confidence-instilling, or annoying and distracting, they’re here to stay. NHTSA recently proposed adding four more safety technologies to its five-star safety rating program. What’s more, the organization announced a 10-year plan for implementing more surveillance-type updates like driver monitoring systems, seat belt interlocks, and alcohol detection.

So, let’s unpack ADAS. What exactly is it? Where is the technology going? And how will it affect your ability to enjoy everything the aftermarket has to offer?

What is ADAS?

Advance Driver Assistance Systems, or ADAS, are electronic technologies that help prevent death and injury caused by car accidents. While that sounds simple enough, the application of these systems and how they both interface with the vehicle and interact with one another is quite complex.

ADAS generally comes in two flavors: active or passive.

Blind-spot warnings and back-up camera alerts are both examples of passive ADAS. In these instances, the onboard computer is essentially just sending up a red flag – there’s a shopping cart behind you or an unseen vehicle in the next lane over. You as the driver still need to take an action of some sort to prevent an accident.

Active ADAS, by comparison, actually takes partial control of the vehicle. Think: automatic emergency braking or lane-keeping assist. In these systems, the computer not only detects a potential obstruction, but also takes actual steps on your behalf to avoid or lessen impact. There are also some active systems that are more about convenience than safety, such as adaptive cruise control or self-parking.

The end goal for ADAS is fully autonomous driving. For now, though, it is helping to increase situational awareness and ultimately, reduce the driver workload to create a more enjoyable driving experience.

A (Very) Brief History of ADAS

It’s worth noting that ADAS is not a new development born of the digital era. Engineers have been tinkering with automated technologies in cars for decades. In fact, the first modern cruise control was invented in 1948, with the electronic version arriving in 1971 and the aforementioned adaptive system coming in the ‘90s.

While many modern ADAS systems only landed in the last decade, plenty of safety achievements appeared in the second half of the twentieth century. You’re likely familiar with several of the heavy-hitters, including Anti-lock Brakes (1971), Electronic Stability Control (1989), and Tire Pressure Monitors (1997).

More recently, certain ADAS technologies became standard equipment. For example, as of May 2018, federal law requires that all new vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds have backup cameras. Electronic stability control, which automatically helps prevent oversteering and understeering, became a federal standard requirement back in 2011. Automatic emergency braking with forward-looking radar will be standard on all new vehicles in the U.S. by 2025.

ADAS is big business, too. According to Statista research, the ADAS industry generated about $17.6 billion globally in 2020, doubling in size since 2015. The group projects the market will swell to nearly $32 billion by 2023.

Evolving Technology

As ADAS evolves, it incorporates more artificial intelligence. These “higher” levels of ADAS are called Automated Driving Systems or ADS… which, yes, makes for some confusing acronyms.

To keep things clear, driving automation breaks down into levels, ranging from 0 to 5. Level 0 represents simple driver support features like automatic emergency braking and blind-spot warning, whereas Level 5 would be a fully self-driving vehicle that can operate everywhere, in all conditions. Levels 0-2 include ADAS technologies, while Levels 3-5 introduce ADS. Currently, the market sits at Level 2 – i.e., you are still driving the vehicle, even when support features are engaged. (Yes, this includes Tesla’s “self-driving” software, Autopilot.)

While some Level 3 vehicles have been introduced, they are very new and only available in limited markets. Mercedes recently scored a big win in this department, as it became the first automaker to receive regulatory clearance for its Level 3 driving system, Drive Pilot. The “conditionally automated” driving software, as Mercedes describes it, is currently available on the new S-class and EQS electric sedan. Limited to California and Nevada highways for now, the technology takes control of a vehicle’s speed, steering, and brakes at speeds below 40 mph.

Level 3 may be only one rung up the ladder from ADAS, but it marks quite a departure – and a sticky situation. If the driver is technically not in control of the vehicle when the automated features take over, then who is responsible in case of an accident? To Mercedes’ credit, the automaker has reportedly stated it will be liable should Drive Pilot fail. But this shows the kind of legal – and ethical – ambiguity surrounding these future technologies.

And that’s not even considering the issues plaguing current ADAS and ADS.

Questions & Concerns

According to the Center for Automotive Research (CAS), roughly 50% of new vehicles have Level 2 autonomous driving systems available. However, research shows that ADAS-equipped vehicles have the same crash rates as cars without these systems.

There are a few reasons contributing to this “startling reality check,” says the organization.

Over-Confidence

First, drivers tend to “over-rely” on ADAS technology. This confusion over ADAS limitations is partly due to ignorance — this is new technology, after all — but automakers deserve some blame too. While pushing a grand vision of future mobility, many manufacturers are guilty of “autonowashing,” or using media and marketing efforts to oversell their autonomous technologies.

An oft-cited example is Tesla’s use of the terms “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving (FSD)” to describe its standard and add-on packages of advanced driver assistant features. That verbiage landed the automaker on the FTC’s radar, after NHTSA and two U.S. senators penned stern letters to the agency demanding an investigation.

Education Gap

ADAS systems require supervision, which means they can’t work effectively if the supervisor (driver) doesn’t actually understand how the technology works.

CAS points out that dealership personnel are often responsible for these educational efforts – which usually come after a long (and exhausting) purchasing experience. That’s not exactly the ideal mindset for absorbing important safety info. Plus, with no official user training and no updated requirements to standard U.S. licensing exams, drivers are left with few resources to learn more beyond this crash course.

Poor Performance

It’s true that adapting to new technology simply takes time. And during that time, people are bound to make mistakes — sometimes tragic ones. However, it’s worth noting that ADAS technologies themselves are far from perfect.

In October 2021, AAA released findings from a closed-course study that measured the effects of environmental factors like rain, snow, and fog on ADAS sensor performance. Alarmingly, one-third of test runs conducted with simulated rainfall at 35mph resulted in a collision. Automatic lane-keeping fared even worse, drifting outside the lines on 69% of test runs.

ADAS & The Aftermarket

For automotive enthusiasts, ADAS can be a sore subject. The advent of such technology poses many challenges to the industry, but perhaps offers the largest headache in the aftermarket where modification, customization, and accessorization reign supreme.

Manufacturers must do extensive test-fitting when researching and designing parts and accessories to ensure that the Superlift suspension kit you’ve been eyeing up for your new Bronco, or that rugged winch-ready bumper from Westin won’t suddenly throw off all your factory sensors. This requires a major investment of time, money, and brainpower – a stress shared by collision repairers, automotive restylers, and shop technicians, not to mention backyard mechanics and general DIYers.

Further complicating matters? Not all ADAS sensors are alike. Plus, the way they all interact with one another is incredibly detailed and sensitive. “Understanding how each type of sensor ‘sees’ its surroundings is crucial for proper recalibration and test protocols,” writes SEMA’s Douglas McColloch. And with the popularity of suspension mods and bigger wheels and tires comes a lot of repositioning and/or recalibrating of OE ADAS sensors, he explains. “Any change in tire diameter, wheel offset, backspacing or vehicle ride height will likely throw off sensor readings and necessitate reworking of the ADAS system.”

Granted, resets and calibrations after a vehicle mod aren’t new phenomena for aftermarket professionals. Slap on a lift kit and it’s likely you’ll also need to recalibrate the speedometer, align the wheels, and adjust the headlights. Onboard cameras and radar equipment are simply now additional items to consider, as even the slightest variation can lead to (potentially dangerous) inaccuracies.

SEMA’s Solution

SEMA is doing its part to make it easier for the aftermarket to work with (and sometimes around) ADAS equipment. The organization recently purchased a 45,000-sq.-ft. facility in Michigan, which it plans to use as a second SEMA Garage.

There, manufacturers will have access to advanced product-development tools and equipment, a state-of-the-art emissions testing lab, an ADAS research and development center, and expert technicians who will help bring products to market.

“Our research goal with the ADAS Center is to find out what happens when we modify a vehicle,” SEMA CEO Mike Spagnola said. “Right now, we really don’t know exactly what’s going to happen when we lift a vehicle three inches to five inches, or when we install a larger tire. We have a feel, but we really want to better understand and research what happens when we raise or lower vehicles and the proper procedures to recalibrate them. The goal is to create a series of best practices, working with the collision industry, so we can educate everyone on the proper ways to modify vehicles so that the sensors all work.”